DONETSK, February 21. /TASS/. Ukrainian subversive groups that are aimed at carrying out terrorist attacks against civilians have become active in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR), DPR leader Denis Pushilin said on Monday.
"Ukrainian subversive groups have become active in cities and settlements of the DPR," Pushilin said. "Their activity is aimed at carrying out terrorist attacks against civilians and vital facilities," the DPR leader wrote on his Telegram channel.
He mentioned a water-pumping station that was recently put out of action, as well as failed attempts to destroy the oil depot in Yelenovka and a terrorist attack at the Stirol plant. "Only by a lucky chance, nobody was injured in an attempted terrorist attack near a railway station, the attacker himself was blown up," the head of the self-proclaimed republic said.
The situation at the Donbass engagement line escalated on February 17. The self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR) reported massive bombardments by the Ukrainian armed forces and Kiev’s preparations for an offensive. A serviceman was killed as a result and three civilians, five people were injured. On February 18, LPR and DPR Heads Leonid Pasechnik and Denis Pushilin announced evacuations of civilians from the territory of the republics into Russia over the mounting threat of hostilities. On Saturday, the Donbass republics announced general mobilization.